o neil



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

V J. F. ONEIL.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 349,448. Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

A T TOR/V15 YS N P TENS. PhcloLilhogmphnn Washinglom I10.

(No Model.)- 2 Sheets-Shet 2. J. F. O'NEIL.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 21", 1886.

WITNESSES:

N. PETERS. Phulu-Lilhegrapher. Waihington. 04 c.

7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH F. ONEIL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOADOLPHUS E.

- KARELSEN, OF SAME PLACE.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,448, datedSeptember 21, 1886.

Application filed January 30, 1886. Serial No. 190,266.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH F. ONEIL, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCircular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to certain improvements incircular-knitting machines, by which the length of the stitch can beregulated with great facility, and the machine be readily changed so asto adapt it to heavier or lighter yarn, and by which the oil isprevented from spreading over and coming in contact with the work,whichforms an objectionable feature in the circular-knittin g machinesheretofore in general use.

The invention consists of a circular-knitting machine in which theneedle-cylinder is firmly supported on a base-ring having anupwardlyextending flange that serves as an oil-guard for the work. Thelower part of the base-ring has an interior scre'wthread, and is engagedby an exteriorly threaded adjusting ring, which is engaged by adetachable inwardlyprojecting ring at the lower end of a retainingringthat is permanently attached to the bedplate of the machine. Theadjusting ring serves to adjust the needle-cylinder higher or lower inconnection with a vertical key that fits into grooves of the base-ringand the retaining-ring. The adj usting-ring is locked in position, afterthe needle-cylinder is adjusted,

by a suitable spring-locking device, so that it cannot accidentallychange its position. ,The needle-cylinder is surrounded byacam-cylinder, that is guided by the bed-plate and an upwardly-extendingflange of the retainingring, and provided with a bevel-wheel thatreceives motion from a bevel-wheel on the transmitting-shaft in theusual manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofmyimproved circular-knitting machine. Fig. 1 is a detail side view ofthe spring for locking the adj usting-ring. Fig. 2 is a vertical centralsection o'f-Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 00 0:,Fig.2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the bed-plate of my improvedcircularzknitting (No model.)

machine, which bed-plate is provided with a raised rim, to, and anannular depression, a, for retaining the oil and preventing the samefrom spreading. provided with downwardly-extending brackets A A", ofwhich one supports a journalbearing for the driving-shaft B, while theother serves for clamping the bed-plate to a suitable support. Thedriving-shaft B is operated by hand or power, and carries a bevel-wheel,b, that meshes with a bevel-wheel, b, at the base of a rotarycam-cylinder O. The cam-cylinder O surrounds the needlecylinder D, andis guided by the bed-plate and by a retainingring, E, that is attachedby an outwardly-extending horizontalflange, e, and screws e to the underside of the bed-plate A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The retaining-ring Eis further provided with a vertical flange, eithat extends above thehorizontal flange e, and prevents the lubricating-oil from passing fromthe bevel-wheel I) to the needle cylinder and the work. To the loweredge of the retaining-ring E is attached by screws f aninwardly-projecting flange, f, that is made of two semicircularsections. The flange f engages an annular groove, f of the adjusting-ring F, which is provided with an exterior screw-thread, so as toengage the interiorly-threaded lower part of the base-ring D thatsupports the needle-cylinder D. The base-ring D has a horizontal offsetand an upper part of smaller diameter than the lpwer part, said upperpart fitting into an annular recess at the-inside of the needlecylinderD; The upper part of the base-ring D serves as an oil-guard, and prevents the oil from spreading over and coming in contact with the work asit passes down through the interior of the needlecylinder and base ofmachine. The horizontal offset of the base-ring D has an annular grooveor gutter, U, for collecting any surplus oil. The basering D isconnected by a vertical key, 9, to retaining-ring E, said key 9 fittingin semicircular grooves of the retaining-ring E and basering D, saidkeyserving to prevent the axial motion of the needle-cylinder D when theadjusting-ring F is turned, but to permit the vertical movement of theneedle-cylinder D and base-ring D on turning the adjusting-ring in oneor the opposite direction. This has the The bed-plate A is further vadvantage of setting the needle-cylinder D higher or lower relatively tothe cams of the cam-cylinder, and regulates thereby the length of thestitches, so as to knit a fabric with looser or closer stitch.

The essential feature of my machine consists of the vertical adjustmentof the needlecylinder, by which the exact adjustment of the stitch madeby the needles is accomplished in a quick and uniform manner. When theneedle-cylinder D has been set by the adjustingring F, the latter islocked by a spring, G, attached to the outside of the retaining-ring E,said spring engaging numbered notches a on the outwardly-extendingbottom flange, f', of the adjusting-ringF, as shown clearly in Figs. 2and 3. The number of the notch engaged by the spring G indicates thedegree to which the needle-cylinder is adjusted, since the fartheraround the notches are passed under the spring the farther thescrewthreaded basering is raised by the adjusting-ring.

In place of the spring G and notches in any other equivalent lockingdevice may be used, provided it can vbe released quickly from theadjusting-ring, so that the same can be turned in either direction foradjusting the needle-cylinder D and base-ring D higher or lower in thecam-cylinder. l

The locking of the adjusting-ring prevents the accidental change ofposition of the needle-cylinder D, and forms a safeguard for the properworking of the same.

' By adjusting the needle-cylinder higher or lower by the turning of theadj ustingring the machine can be easily and quickly-adapted for lighteror heavier yarns, according to the use for which it is required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of the bed-plate, a rotarycam-cylinder, a needle-cylinder, a base-rin g for supporting theneedle-cylinder, a retainingring attached to the under side of thebedplate and having an inwardly-extending bottom flange, and anadjusting-ring having an annular groove for said flange, and an exteriorscrew -thread for engaging the interiorlythreaded base-ring,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a bed-plate, a rotary cam-cylinder, aneedle-cylinder, a base-ring supporting the needle-cy1inder, saidbase-ring having an interior screw-thread, a retainingring attached tothe under side of the bedplate, an adjustingring retained by a flange ofthe retaining-ring and engaging the thread of the base-riug, and alocking device by which the adjusting-ring is locked to theretainingring, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a bed-plate, a rotary cam cylinder, a needle-cylinder, a basering supporting said needle-cylinder, a retaining ringattached to the under side of the bedplate and havinganupwardly-extending guard-flange and an inwardly-extending bottomflange, an adj usting-ring having an annular groove engaging said bottomflange, and an exterior screw-thread engaging an interior screw-threadof the base-ring, and a vertical key connecting the base-ring and theretaining-ring, whereby the basering and needlecylinder are verticallyadjustable, but prevented from turning axially, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination of the bed-plate, a rotary cam-cylinder, aneedle-cylinder, a basering supporting said needle-cy1inder,-aretaining-ring attached to the under side of the bed-plate and having aninwardly-extending bottom flange, an adjusting-ring having an annulargroove for said bottom flange, and an exterior screw-thread engaging aninterior screwthread of the base ring, and a locking-spring engaging thenotched bottom flange of the adj listing-ring, substantially as setforth.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEREMIAH F. ONEIL. \Vitnesses:

PAUL GoErnL, IVIARTIN PETRY,

